


it could've been worse

by anditsonlyforthebrave



Category: One Direction
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Blowjobs, Bottom Louis, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I Suck At Writing Smut, M/M, Quarantine, Self Isolation, the angst is there for one sec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24061315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anditsonlyforthebrave/pseuds/anditsonlyforthebrave
Summary: the one where a pandemic happens, harry is obssessed and louis hates apps made for 15 years old.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 101





	it could've been worse

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe i'm doing this for real, I haven't posted a fic in like 3 years or something so... God help me.  
> First of all, english isn't my first language so it's probably loads of crap. It's also my first time writing smut in a language that's not italian so... I'm sorry?  
> In this trying moment for humanity, I know that people are struggling so I need you to know that, even tho it's just a 5k fic, I mention being in self isolation and quarantine a lot... If it's somehow triggering for you, don't go ahead. 
> 
> Also... This fic is dedicated to my lovely friend Anna, who is literally the apple to my eye, as an early birthday gift. She already read it, but who cares. I love you, Ninni and thank you for everything!

Louis knows that it could’ve been worse for him.

He very well knows he could be quarantined with someone who isn’t his absolute best friend and favorite person in the world: he could be with Liam and his obsession with making him drink protein shakes, or Niall and his being way too loud with everything he does. Or worse, he could be back at home, in Doncaster, with his teenagers sisters.

Harry is the perfect quarantine companion and Louis knows he can’t complain.

“Lou, I’m bored and it’s been five hours since Ethan posted something on Instagram.”

Louis knows he can’t complain, but he can’t contain the noise that escapes his mouth. Luckily, Harry doesn’t notice.

“Haz, I know what being forced to stay in the same house as me isn’t the best situation you could be in, but I’m studying.”

Harry ignores him for a few second, then lays on the couch where they’re sitting putting his head on Louis’ legs.

“First,” he then says, “you’re literally my favorite human in the world and I wouldn’t wish to spend my isolation with anyone but you” he smiles, “second, you’ve been studying all day and now it’s my turn. Give me all the attention I need, thanks.”

Louis smiles, and he knows he has to give up: Harry won’t let him study another word so he just bends over the table in front of the couch and closes the book. He then puts his hand in Harry’s hair.

“Okay,” he says, “but if you talk about Ethan one more time…”

Harry smiles at him, “don’t be jealous, Lou.”

And Louis knows it’s not rational, jealousy. It’s just that every time Harry says Ethan’s name, something in his stomach wakes up and he _hates_ it. He knows Ethan’s just Harry’s crush of the month, but the crush is mutual and Louis cannot stand it.

He ignores his best friend. “What do you want to do, then?”

Harry smiles at him, “if you keep petting my hair like this all I’m going to do is sleep” he says, and then he gets up, “we could bake a cake? Play Fifa? Or Scrabble? Or we could… We could make a TikTok.”

Louis is so shocked it takes him a minute to answer. “Uhm, what?”

Harry smiles at him, and Louis hates those dimples.

“Last night I couldn’t sleep and I went on facebook and I started watching all these TikTok’s compilations so I downloaded the app and there’s a lot of fun stuff we could do.”

“Harry, you’re my best friend. You know that, yeah?”

The youngest nods.

“You’re my best friend, and I love you, and I’d give you a kidney but the day I will agree with making a TikTok, will be the day you’ll know for sure aliens swapped me with an evil clone.”

Harry smiles again. “Okay, Lou. It was worth a try, mhm?” he shrugs, “cake?” he asks then.

Louis nods, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to make Harry sit through a whole Fifa match, and that he would’ve only tried to distract Harry to win at Scrabble.

They balance each other, always have and probably always will.

Harry moved to Doncaster when he was 14, and he ended up in the same school as Louis, who decided they would’ve been best friends forever when the youngest showed up at their school’s football team selections, team Louis was captain for. From that moment, they became inseparable and so did their family – Anne swears Harry never gave her a choice.

During all high school, if you were looking for Louis, you would’ve found Harry as well. Everyone always made comments about how weird their relationship was, especially when both came out as gay. They just didn’t care.

What wasn’t weird for most of the people they knew back home, was Louis winning a scholarship (thank you so much, football) and moving to a London college, with Harry following the following year. They decided to move outside campus, with Niall and Liam whom Louis met the year he spent there without Harry.

That’s why they were spending the quarantine together: Niall was in Ireland to visit his family, and as soon as the news broke, Liam decided to drive up North to be with is family. He even offered to drive Harry home, but he refused when Louis said that he would’ve stayed in London.

Natural, platonic, and totally not weird.

\---

It’s not like Harry becomes obsessed with TikTok, but as soon Ethan posts one…

“This is too funny, Lou, you gotta watch it” he says loudly, and Louis would really like to find something Ethan does funny but not, that’s never gonna happen.

If he stops and tries to think about it, he doesn’t know the exact moment he fell in love with Harry: maybe it was his 16th birthday, when Harry asked to be kissed as a gift cause he couldn’t believe someone would ever kiss him, or maybe it was when he was 20 and so drunk that bunking with him, Harry whispered and “I love you” that wasn’t friendly at all, or maybe was when he dated Aaron for two years and was truly in love.

Maybe he was in love with Harry since the first time their eyes met, who knows? Louis doesn’t really know anything but jealousy since Ethan, the college’s star, that made his move on Harry at his birthday party.

The only reason him and Harry never went on a date, it’s cause the pandemic happened and, even tho Louis would never admit it out loud, he was almost grateful for the quarantine.

“Harry, I’m studying… I’ve got the test tomorrow, remember?” Louis asks without looking up.

“I know, but you gotta eat! And you can think about something else for a change.”

“No offence, Haz, but if I could think about something else, that wouldn’t be Ethan James.”

Harry rolls his eyes. “I thought you liked him? When we went out for dinner with Liam and Niall and he tagged along, you laughed at his jokes.”

Louis smirks, “I laugh at yours as well.”

“Hey!”

Louis smiles at him, “for real Haz, I’m gonna go to my room for a bit cause I’m not gonna pass the test and I will probably end up sleeping somewhere in the streets and one day you’ll walk by, all rich and famous, and pretend you never knew me.”

“Or maybe I could become your sugar daddy” Harry says nonchalantly.

Louis most definitely doesn’t choke on his water, “I’m not sure I want to know what weird kinks you have.”

“Okay, Lou” Harry says, “but you know what I’m gonna be proud of you even if you don’t pass, yeah? But you will. You’re the smartest person I know.”

They smile at each other for a second.

“I am so gonna tell Gems you said that.”

Harry kisses his cheek, “I know you won’t.”

This quarantine can’t end soon enough.

\---

Their third week locked in the flat, starts with Louis acing his test, and with him finding Harry, wearing his briefs only, sprayed on the floor of their living room on a carpet that they – along with Liam and Niall, decided to never use cause it made Niall sneeze.

Louis sighs before he starts talking.

“Haz, what are you doing naked on the floor? And on that evil carpet?”

Harry sits up, “if I tell you, you’re gonna laugh at me. And I cleaned the carpet on the terrace, so you couldn’t hear me. And I thought that we might use it, cause that couch is starting to feel very uncomfortable.”

“Shoot.”

Harry stands up and Louis tries so hard not to make his sight fall on his best friend’s bulge, but he’s not strong. Not strong at all.

“I fell.”

“How?”

“I was trying to…”

“If you end that sentence with _make a TikTok,_ I’m gonna start looking for another flat mate and best friend.”

“I am so bored, Lou” Harry sighs, sitting on the couch. Louis sits next to him, “I know that the situation is not easy, and I’m trying not to get offended by the fact that you find me boring but I’m done with my finals and yes, i will have to keep studying but much less and we can start doing stuff together.”

Harry’s eyes shine.

“Stuff that doesn’t have anything to do with social networks made for 15 years old.”

Harry leans, and puts his head on Louis’ shoulder, “I love you, Lou.”

“Love you too, babe. But now will you explain to me what were you doing making a TikTok with your briefs on and nothing else?”

“I would, but I would have to show you Ethan and I know you’re not his biggest fan.”

Louis deserves the “best friend of the year” award. “If you care, I care.”

Harry’s smile is bright as soon as the words leave Louis’ mouth. “Really?” he asks and proceeds to pick his phone up from the carpet, showing Louis a video of Ethan dancing ridiculously wearing a pair of briefs that Louis wouldn’t know how to describe.

He can’t believe Harry would have sex with him.

“Haz, you know that you don’t need to do this to deserve his attention, yeah?”

“You’re only saying this cause I’m like a brother to you.”

Louis bites his tongue not to answer that, but before he can say anything Harry speaks again. “But… Maybe you’re right. He asked me out already, after all. It means he likes me and when this is all over we can go out and stuff.”

Not if Louis can do something about it.

“Right, Haz… What do you want to do now?”

“Can we go watch a movie on your bed?”

Louis nods, and like the good friend he is, he lets Harry pick whatever he wants to watch. They end up cuddling on Louis' bed, while watching of How I Met Your Mother. Harry falls asleep into the fourth episode, and as soon as Louis closes his laptop, his phone lights up with a text from Lottie.

 **From Lottie:  
**Why does Harry have a TikTok profile and why did I just watch him dance to a Spanish song wearing his underwear only?

Louis answers with a _?_ and his sister sends him a link, that he opens after taking a big breath. Harry is on his screen, dancing almost naked, and very weirdly, and he's not like he watches the video 10 times before starting to find it arousing and close the app like he was watching a weird porn.

 **To Lottie:  
**A guy in his course has like 1M followers on IG and recently started using this hell-made app. He’s been trying to make me do stuff like that all quarantine.

Lottie answers with a list of reasons why he should confess his feelings to Harry, even tho she knows he decided that having Harry as his best friend is way better that not having Harry at all. Confessing his feelings to Harry, feelings definitely not mutual, would’ve meant no more sleepovers, cuddling while watching movies on the couch, Friday nights stops at McDonalds. And Louis wasn’t ready to lose it all.

The only thing he decides to do is send the middle finger emoji to his sister, and then he slides down on the bed facing Harry to wake him up.

“Haz, it’s almost dinner time” he whispers and the youngest opens one eye. “Wjy didn’t you wake me up?”

“Cause you were very cute. But I made lunch, so it’s your turn to cook.”

“Just ten more minutes, babe” Harry replies and hides his face in the crook of his best friend's neck.

Louis sighs and orders their favorite pizzas.

\---

Louis knows that it could’ve been worse for him.

He very well knows he could be quarantined with someone who isn’t his absolute best friend and favorite person in the world, but he’s gonna kill Harry.

49 days into forced quarantine and he cannot stand Harry and his freaking obsession for that app, and even tho they managed to spend some time apart, Louis was annoyed.

He started to firmly believe that the very tragedy in all of this was the launching of that app.

He knew that Harry would've grown tired of that in a couple more days, but a month of stupid songs, or compilations made of videos with the same song over and over, or watching him being ridiculous all the time, was starting to weight a lot on his shoulders.

Lottie, bless her souls, doesn’t know that a simple text would break Louis.

 **From Lottie:**  
You look like an angry chicken in the video that H posted. I didn’t watch it cause I don’t want to see you in your underwear but I’m surprised that you let him film you.

 **To Lottie:**  
Pardon me?

She replies with a link, which obviously is Harry’s TikTok page, that for some reason has over 10K followers, and as soon as he sits down on his bed and the video loads in front of him, his face falls. He’s definitely not watching the video, so he storms out of the room.

“Harry Edward Styles, get your ass in this living room right. Now.”

Harry pops out of the kitchen, “nice jumper, Lou” he teases, considering it’s his jumper Louis is wearing, but the older doesn’t let his best friend distract him.

“Why the hell did you film me and put me on TikTok without asking?”

Harry stays silent for a long, endless minute, and the he whispers a “cause I knew you wouldn’t let me do it.”

“My point exactly, Harry.”

“Ethan has…”

Louis rolls his eyes, “I don’t’ care? I’m not gonna let you use me to make your monthly crush jealous. If he really liked you, he would’ve texted, wouldn’t he? But no, it’s been weeks since he did and it’s been weeks since all you do is do these stupid videos to try and gain his attention. Guess what? I need to study, and you keep on being loud to try and make someone who only asked you out to stroke his own ego care, but sorry to burst your bubble… He’s not gonna care cause you film yourself dancing” he doesn’t even know why he’s yelling and saying all of this stuff, that he doesn’t even think. “I just want you to be quiet for a day, is it too much to ask?” he then asks, and Harry’s face is enough for him to understand that he said too much.

All Harry does is nod, speechless, and the goes back to his room shutting his door behind himself, so strongly that the frame of the picture they have on the wall shakes a little.

\---

There’s only one thing Louis hates more than Manchester City, and it’s fighting with Harry.

After all the yelling he did, Harry decided that silent treatment was the best option: he still made Louis breakfast, and often dinner, but it’s been three days since he said a word to him. He only got out of the room if he was absolutely sure Louis was in his, or if he had headphones on.

Louis ended up watching the infamous TikTok, and it only was a compilation of stupid stuff he said or did. It was actually very sweet, and it only made him feel worse.

What really grabbed his attention was another video that came up on the screen.

It was a blonde girl who smiled at the camera, and then the video shows a guy and then a sentence. _This is Tom, my best friend._ Another video, clearly taken another day. _We’ve been friend forever._ Another video. _I’m in love with him._ Another. _And today I’m going to kiss him._

Louis closes and deletes the app before the idea gets to his brain.

Too late.

\---

Harry knows something is up as soon as he steps out of his bedroom and the only light in the house come from the kitchen.

“Haz, come help me please?” Louis calls out for him, “I emptied the dishwasher and I need help to put the stuff away.”

Harry enters the room and looks at Louis for one second, before going next to him and starting to put everything away.

“I’m still mad and cleaning the house is not gonna help your case.”

“C’mon, Haz.”

Harry stops for a second, “I should’ve asked you, yes. Was there any reason to yell at me? No.”

“I’m sorry, I truly am” Louis says, “I was just grumpy cause they've been giving us so much stuff to study and I took it out on you and I shouldn’t have, but… I bought you a gift on Amazon, and it’s on the table in front of the couch. I truly am sorry, Haz.”

Harry lets Louis drag him in the living room, and then sits right in front of the small package.

“Before you open it, Haz, I want you to know that I love you and you’re my best friend and hurting you is the last thing I want to do.”

“Lou… I know. It's okay.”

They sit in silence on the couch, and Louis gives Harry the little package that’s on the table. Harry unwraps it quickly, and when he turns around, Louis just… Kisses him.

Harry leans back quickly, shocked, and Louis stands up so quickly he's pretty sure if someone saw him, they would think he was on fire.

“I, uhm, made a TikTok and I would like for you to see it.”

Harry furrows his eyebrows, “did you kiss me just to mock me? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“NO!” Louis answers quickly, “just let me… Post it? And you can watch it.”

Harry nods, and a couple of minutes of endless silence, Louis hands him his phone.

The curly haired one presses play, and the first thing that shows up is a video of them at Harry’s childhood house, on Christmas. They were about 17 and 19.

_This is Harry, my best friend._

Another video shows up, and it’s Harry signing a random song in the car, and he remember that day so vividly even tho it was ages ago: they were driving home on Harry’s birthday, on his first year of uni.

_I am in love with him since… Forever, probably._

Harry is so shocked that he'd like to say something, but the words don’t come out, so he just keeps looking at the phone.

Another video comes up, and this time it’s a video that Harry has never seen before, of him holding Doris and Ernest, and by their size they couldn’t have been older than 3 months.

_I am going to kiss him today, and hopefully I don’t lose my best friend._

Harry literally throws the phone on the couch and looks at Louis that has a terrified expression on his face, but Harry just smiles at him, bright eyes and dimples and everything and Louis is just so in love that he can’t breathe.

“Come here right now, Louis.”

Louis shakes his head.

“Lou, I just… I need you to… Can you come here?” he asks again, and Louis gets close, and closer, and closer and…

Harry puts an arm around his waist, and when their noses touch he just smiles again, and the just kiss Louis. It’s a proper kiss now, and it’s exactly what Louis always imagined.

It’s fireworks, and butterflies in his stomach and he can feel Harry everywhere, and he tastes exactly like Louis always thought: promises, love and forever.

“You’re such an idiot, Louis, I swear” Harry says, “I am so in love with you that sometimes i don’t know what to do with myself.”

“What?” Louis whispers on Harry’s neck.

“How could you not know? Everyone does, even Liam’s mom and we only met her what, three times?”

Louis smiles. “What about Ethan?”

“Do you _really_ think I’m half naked most of the time for Ethan?” Harry asks, “I was just waiting for you to be too horny to function to make a move.”

Louis laugh, and after a moment he just kisses him again. Just because he can now, and never wants to stop.

He feels Harry hands wander, until the end up on his ass. Harry squeezes it quickly, almost as if he was embarrassed, and Louis stops the kiss.

“Are you being a tease on purpose or what?”

“I’m afraid this is a dream and once we did the do you’re gonna realize how awkward I am and…” Louis stops him right there.

“I already know how awkward you are, we’ve been friends for ages, but I am in love with you and I want you to fuck me cause it’s the only thing I've been thinking about since lockdown started and you tortured me enough so, Harry?”

“Yes?”

“If you fuck me now I promise you we’ll talk and I'll cook dinner for a month.”

Harry laughs, and kisses Louis again, squeezing his ass harder then before. Louis takes it as in invite, and jumps on Harry. He links his legs around his best friend’s waist, and Harry is so surprised that drops on the couch.

Now it’s Louis that laughs.

“You either don’t want to fuck me, or you don’t want to me to cook.”

Harry snorts. “You truly don’t have any idea, do you?”

He takes off his shirt, and Louis is gonna be damned if he won’t lick those stupid tattoos.

“Of what?”

He licks his lips, and let’s Harry touch his chest for a few seconds before he takes his shirt off as well.

Harry smiles, “of how much I’ve dreamed about this” he gets closer again and kisses him behind his ear, “of how much I want to touch you”. He kisses Louis jaws, and the boy shivers, “of how much I want you to sit on my face” he gets closer to his lips, basically both breathing the same air. Louis bites his lip and then they're back to kissing.

This time, Louis can feel Harry’s hands everywhere: caressing his back, and then playing with the strings of the trackies he’s wearing.

Louis deepens the kiss and then grinds into him and a moan escapes both of their mouth. They’re impossibly hard and Louis wants to be naked almost as much Harry wants him naked, so he gets up a little to take his trousers off, Harry doing the same with his boxers as well. They’re naked and kissing and hard and when Harry starts jerking them off at the same time, Louis closes his cause the friction is amazing, Harry’s hand is cold and his cock feels hot and big and he just _wants, wants, wants._

“Haz, please, I want.. I…”

Harry looks at him, all flustered and heavy breathing but he doesn’t stop touching cause the sounds coming from Louis mouth are way more interesting that anything he has to say.

“You’re so hot” Harry whispers, kissing his mouth wetly and moving onto the neck. He bites it, and Louis comes.

He’s breathing heavily and his cheeks are rosy and they’re both covered in come and Louis just…”I want to suck you off.”

Harry doesn’t have the time to register what Louis just said cause the guy is kneeling in front of him, slapping Harry’s hand gently and with a fast movement he’s licking the tip of Harry’s cock. Harry's head falls back, and he closes is eyes when he feels Louis licking down his length.

When Louis swallows him down, Harry is sure he’s not gonna want to face their neighbours after the lockdown is over, cause the sound that escapes his mouth is loud.

Louis loves it.

“Babe, babe, babe” Harry moans, and Louis just keeps working down on his cock and Harry is glad they’re locked in cause he never wants to stop seeing Louis with is mouth wrapped around his cock.

Louis' mouth is warm and wet and the youngest loses every coherent thought when he feels him taking down inch by inch, swirling his tongue around the head of the cock he’s sucking and only slowers down when he feels Harry’s hand through his hair.

He looks up to him, and Harry is biting his bottom lip so hard that Louis does the only thing he knows it would make him stop: presses his thumb’s on his tights and and swallows him down slowly, letting it hit the back of his throat without breaking the eye contact.

Harry groans, and when Louis let him pushes him down again, he just moves his hips fucking his mouth for a couple of minutes before he slows down again.

“Lou, babe, I'm gonna c-“

He can’t even finish the sentence before he’s coming with a groan into Louis' mouth. The boy swallows and before he gets up, he kisses Harry’s thighs.

“Well, that was…”

Louis can’t finish the sentence cause Harry’s mouth is on his in one second, kissing him deeply, and Louis never felt something like that before.

“It wasn’t like, a one time thing… right?” Harry asks and Louis kisses his cheek, shaking his head.

“We’re naked, just exchanged orgasms on this filthy carpet and confesses our love… Hello?!?”

Harry smiles. “Boyfriends?”

Louis shakes his head. “It feels too much like being in high school. I’d say… Partners. Cause I wanna be with you forever. Marry you, even.”

“Marry me? You have to make me dinner first.”

\---

Louis knows that it could’ve been worse for him.

He’s been locked up in the very same house for 52 days and he’s currently all sweaty riding his _partner_ in the sitting room, and well… It doesn’t get any better than that.

His tights feel on fire, and he's sweating, and every time he sinks down, Harry buckle his hips up, meeting him in the middle, and his cock feels so big in him that Louis is 100% sure that his body was made for Harry.

“Harder, Haz, ple-“

Harry puts his hands on his waist and start moving his hips so fast that Louis thinks he's gonna die and come ay the same time.

He does come, when Harry moves slower against his prostate. He moans loudly, and comes all over the butterfly on his chest and Harry follows him right after.

“Good morning to you too, love.”

Harry smiles at him, getting rid of the condom, but instead of letting him get up, Louis just decides he doesn’t care about being dirty, and lays down next to him.

“We need to get rid of this carpet.”

“Why?” Louis asks, playing with Harry’s hair.

“Cause we’ve been boyfriends for 12 hours and it has seen more come than in a lifetime?”

“Please, you want me to ride your face on this carpet. Again, I mean.”

Harry snorts, “maybe Ethan will text me, after all.”

Louis turns around and looks at him, “nah, you’re stuck with me forever now. I was serious last night, I’m gonna marry you one day.”

“Even if I make stupid TikToks?”

Louis nods, “I’ve loved you long before your obsession with that app.”

“It was Daisy and Phoebe’s 10th birthday” Harry murmurs, lips moving against Louis' neck, “when I knew I was gone for you, I mean” he continues. “We went to Stan's birthday party the night before, and you showed up at lunch the day after wearing my shirt, but with a giant hickey on your neck and I was so, so jealous.”

“That was a long time ago, Haz! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Harry shrugs, “cause having you has my best friend was better than the idea of not having you at all” he states simply.

Louis almost laugh, “it’s funny cause it’s the same thing I've always told everyone when they asked me why I never said anything about my feelings.”

Harry looks up to him for one second, but then buries his head back onto Louis' neck, whispering a “look at us now ” that his boyfriend barely hears.

“Look at us now, naked, covered in come, on a carpet that’s not supposed to be here… Living our best life.”

“Look at us, naked, covered in come and so in love we can’t properly function.”

\---

Louis knows it’s silly, but filming himself after getting out of the shower to make a stupid TikTok and get on Harry’s nerves is a _great_ idea, if you ask him.

He smiles at the mirror and stops the video to write the caption.

_Everyone is filming themselves walking into their partners completely naked, so here we go._

He gets out of the bathroom and films the towel dropping on the floor, and while he can't wait to see Harry’s reaction, he hopes he’s not on facetime with his mom.

He finds him on the couch.

“I know, Nì! It sucks but-”

Louis clears his throat and Harry turns around, “Jesus Christ. Nì, I gotta go.”

He literally throws the phone on the floor and jumps off of the couch, getting close to Louis e lifting him up, “don’t think for a moment that I don’t know what you're doing.”

“Thought it would be fun filming us.”

Harry smiles, biting over Louis' collarbone, and then shakes his head.

“No more TikToks, please” he states, “but if you want to film something… I've got a couple of ideas” he enters _their_ bedroom, and throws Louis on the bed, towering over him. Louis smiles.

“That’s my boy.”

That’s _his_ boy and Louis know he couldn’t ask for anyone better.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!! You can find me on twitter at @jstltmeadoreyou x


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